Forestry and Fuels Program

Wildlife Division

Preserving Balanced Ecosystems

The Watershed Research and Training Center’s Wildlife Division is honored to partner with public land management agencies in order to provide reliable and exemplary data. These data are used to identify areas where protected species are active to ensure that project activities do not disturb sensitive wildlife. This critical work supports planning efforts for large scale, grant funded fire resiliency projects by completing environmental compliance requirements.

We use an electric game speaker, or "call box", to mimic the calls of birds to aid during surveys.
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Compass and map are critical tools that help navigate complex terrain and enable triangulation of birds detected by sound at night.
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Binocular and field notebooks are standard birding gear that help record detailed observations.
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Offering live mice to owls allows us insight into nesting behavior year to year.
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The Wildlife Division of the Forestry and Fuels Program supports forest health by locating and studying sensitive species in our surrounding forests. From well known birds of prey to our only native turtles, our field technicians perform a wide variety of wildlife surveys to monitor our forest neighbors, including:

  • Northern spotted owls

  • Bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and American goshawks

  • Northwestern pond turtles

  • Native bumble bees

  • Carnivore and small mammal camera traps

  • Autonomous Recording Units (ARU)

What We Do

  • Biologist Services

    Our Division Director serves as a Qualified Biologist, offering biological specialist experience to partner agencies, programs, and projects. They have experience in environmental compliance reporting, including NEPA Biological Assessments and Evaluations.

  • Northern Spotted Owl Surveys

    The Wildlife Crew’s primary workload in Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers National Forests is to survey for northern spotted owls. By locating these intrinsically valuable birds, the Wildlife Division helps forest managers and landowners make proper decisions on preserving irreplaceable habitat.

  • Other Raptor Surveys

    In addition to spotted owl surveys, our technicians use different protocols and methods to survey for bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and American goshawks. These data aid forest managers to minimize their impact on species that thrive in our local ecosystems.

  • Biological Monitoring

    In addition to avian species, Wildlife Technicians survey for a diverse range of taxonomic groups. From the Northwestern pond turtle, to native bumble bees, to setting up game cameras and Autonomous Recording Units (ARUs), the Wildlife Division’s scope of work is broad! This work helps our partners be proactive with any management concerns.

Crew Structure

Interested in a rewarding field season working with the Wildlife Division Crew? Every year, we look for motivated individuals to join our team of field technicians. If you enjoy working outdoors, contributing to meaningful conservation work, and being part of a tight-knit team, check out our current employment opportunities and consider applying.

The Wildlife Division oversees 2-3 crews based around Trinity County. Each crew varies in size but average around 4-6 technicians working in pairs and are led by a Crew Lead. These crews are responsible for most of the field work and wildlife surveys including technical hikes during the day and night searching for owls. The Division Director and Assistant Division Director oversee the crew, data collection and management, agency partnerships, and reporting.